The Barton Community College baseball team once again received a solid pitching outing helping the No. 22 ranked Cougars split today's doubleheader against No. 14 Hutchinson Community College. The Blue Dragons buried Barton in a seven run hole through the first four innings of game one as three Cougar home runs were not enough in the 8-4 loss. The Barton pitching staff responded to the call limiting the hot Hutchinson bats in game two while getting a timely two-out hit to earn the split with a 3-2 win.
Concluding the four-game series stretching over four days with two wins apiece, Barton moves into the fourth spot of the Jayhawk at 9-7 and 25-11 while Hutchinson sits in second place at 14-6 and 26-11. Cancelling their Tuesday non-conference contest against the Bethany College junior varsity, Barton's next action will come Saturday as the Cougars head to Pratt Community College for a four-game conference series. First pitch for Saturday and Sunday's doubleheader slated for 1:00 p.m. at Stanion Field.
The Blue Dragons scored an unearned run in the first inning of game one as a one-out Michael Helman single advancing to second on a balk would score from the next batter off a Barton infield error.
Corrigan Bartlett quickly tied things up in the home half driving his third homerun of the season through the teeth of the wind blowing in from left field for the sophomore's 27th RBI of the year.
Wyatt Divis led off the next inning with a double as Barton starter Mason Hiser dug a hole following a Brock Schaffer single and plunking Shane Cooper to load the bases. Helman would clear two off the bases with a single but Hiser escaped further damage inducing an infield pop-up before ending the inning with a strikeout.
Hutchinson again lead off the next inning with a double as Nolan Hakel hustled out a weak shot to left field beating out the throw from Bartlett. Brady Hoover and Divis followed with consecutive RBI singles pushing the lead out to 5-1.
The Blue Dragons would tack on three more as a Helman leadoff single would score on Hakel's fly ball drawing chalk along the right field line to end Hiser's day on the mound. One batter later Hoover greeted reliever Keaton Suellentrop with his best Bartlett imitation driving a pitch through the left field wind increasing the lead out to 8-1.
Barton got their final three runs thanks to the home run ball beginning with Trey Pittman's second of the year leading off the fourth inning with a shot to the right center power alley for his 25th RBI. Pittman again led off an inning to get things going, beginning the sixth with a single being followed by Kaden Fowler roping his third homerun down the right field line driving in his 26th run of the year making it 8-4.
Zach Moore earned the win for Hutchinson with the complete game six hitter to remain undefeated at 6-0 on the season while Hiser drops to 4-2 on the year.
In the nightcap, Dawson Pomeroy connected on the Cougars fourth long ball of the day drilling a two-out pitch down the right field line for his third of season and 19th RBI giving Barton a 1-0 first inning lead.
Being sent down in order for the first three innings, Helman's one out walk would result in an unearned run as a passed ball proved costly in scoring the tying run on a Hakel single to right field.
Just like game one on Friday, the Cougars and Blue Dragons were locked in a pitcher's duel for most of the nine inning second contest with Wyatt Divis keeping Barton in check and Andrew Repp equally impressive from the home side. As the duo combined to retire fourteen consecutive batters, Hutchinson's Hoover snapped the string in the seventh with a solid single up the middle but the Blue Dragons couldn't do anything further.
Barton received a couple of gifts in the home half of the inning as Fowler's leadoff grounder ran up the backhand of second baseman Helman, subsequently ending the day for Divis. Dayden Lane took the hill with his third pitch reaching the backstop moving Fowler over to second. One pitch later Divis' bobble on Cole Henley's sac bunt resulted in a rushed errant throw to first giving the Cougars runners at the corners with no outs. Henley then swiped his fifth stolen base of the year moving up ninety feet but Lane battled back with two consecutive strikeouts. Lane appeared to be getting out of the inning with another strikeout but Alan Clark had other plans driving a 3-2 pitch into right center giving Barton a 3-1 lead.
The Blue Dragons answered with one in the eighth getting a one-out single and consecutive singles, the latter coming from Helman to cut the deficit in half while chasing Repp from the game. Pomeroy checked in for mound duty inducing a fly out to end the threat then sent down the Blue Dragons down in order in the ninth including striking out the final two batters earning his third save of the freshman's season.
Repp's 7.2 innings of five-hit pitching performance improved the freshman to 3-1 on the year while Divis took the loss dropping to 1-2.